


A Walk On Broken Glass

by jewls757



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Enemy Lovers, F/M, Hogwarts Sixth Year, POV Draco Malfoy, Redeemed Draco Malfoy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:08:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27493237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jewls757/pseuds/jewls757
Summary: After the tragic death of her parents, Prithia Fjord is transferred to Hogwarts in her sixth year. She hopes to complete her wizard schooling with minimal trauma, but little does she know she will meet a certain blond-haired boy that may change her life.
Relationships: Blaise Zabini/Original Female Character(s), Draco Malfoy/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	1. the grand welcome

**prithia fjord**

I followed the professor through the ancient halls of Hogwarts, her hair held in a tight bun and her dress flowing in step behind her. I wasn't able to catch her name as I had been handed off from Hagrid to the woman. 

I had attempted to keep track of the lefts and rights and landmarks we passed, but the halls all looked so similar I lost count after four lefts and seven rights. I struggled to keep up with the professor's long strides. I had always thought of my height as above average until she began walking. 

I fought to catch my breath when she stopped in front of a bird-shaped stone gargoyle. She whispered something to the stone creature causing a staircase to begin spiraling upwards. The professor stepped onto a stair and looked at me expectantly. 

"Come on, dear." She ushered her wrinkled hand for me to hop on a stair. My heart raced the same way it did when I was met with an escalator as I jumped onto a stair unsteadily. The professor nodded. 

The staircase stopped at an old door that was opened by the aged woman. As we stepped inside, I froze in admiration to take in the beauty of the office. 

"Ah, young Fjord," a soft voice sounded inside of the large room. I moved my head to where the voice had come from to find an old man with a long beard sitting behind a wooden desk. He looked at me from above his glasses. 

"Professor Dumbledore," I whispered in awe. I had heard many tales of his work. He smiled and got up from his desk. He nodded towards the professor behind me. "Thank you, Minerva." She then left without another word. 

Dumbledore held out a hand, urging me closer. 

"I am glad to welcome you to Hogwarts. I have heard wonderful stories or your success at Ilvermorny." His eyes softened. "I give you my condolences. I'm sure your parents were incredible people." My stomach dropped to the floor. I had tried my hardest to not think about them for many days. 

He couldn't know who they were. My stomach churned at him speaking of her parents like he was friends with them. He had no right to speak about them. It took everything in me not to let a tear slide down my cheek. _I miss them so much_. 

Dumbledore led me to an encasing in the wall that housed an old brown hat. He picked it off the stand. 

"Normally, you would be apart of the Sorting Ceremony, similar to the one you went through, but given the conditions, we are not able to." I nodded. The ancient man looked at me with anticipation as he placed the hat atop my head. 

I jumped when it began talking. "Hmm, these are some unforeseen circumstances... brave, indeed, much Gryffindor in you." I sucked in a breath. I knew all too well of the houses at Hogwarts. It would be an honor to be in Gryffindor. "Oh, look at that, so much ambition, you have high goals and expectations... Slytherin!" My heart skipped a beat. _No... It couldn't be._

Dumbledore took the hat from my head and placed it back on the wooden stand. He clapped his hands together and led me to his desk. 

"Congratulations. Professor McGonagall will lead you to your dormitory. The password is Pure-Blood. You will find the supplies and uniforms awaiting you." That was her name! _McGonagall_.

"Thank you," I muttered. He gestured towards the same lady who was just with them. I did not recall her entering again. 

I started toward Professor McGonagall. "If you need anything at all, Prithia, do not hesitate to find me." I winced at my full name. My mother was the only one who called me by my entire name. 

I found myself, unsurprisingly, failing to keep up with McGonagall's pace while we continued to take many different turns through the halls. 

I knew deep down, _I am not a Slytherin_. What would my parents think about where I am? I had heard many stories of what Slytherin produces and I knew I did not belong in that house. 

Lost in thought, I zoned out for the majority of the walk to the dormitory. I had completely forgotten how I had even gotten into the dorms, but there I was. Alone, in a cold, dungeon-like room with six green canopied beds. I had to admit, there was something alluring about the room. I deemed the bed with three trunks and a stack of books piled on top my own. 

I looked through her schedule sitting on the stack of books. Charms, Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts... _oh lord_. Starting at a new school in the sixth year was going to be miserable. Surely the curriculum was going to be slightly different at Hogwarts than it was at Ilvermorny, plus, everybody was going to know each other already and have established groups. 

I collapsed onto the firm bed and let a few tears slip out. How was I going to make my parents proud when I was at such a disadvantage? I took a few deep breaths. It was going to be okay. _I_ was going to be okay. 

______________

Oh no no, I was _not_ going to be okay. 

I stood in the large doorway that leads to the Grand Hall in my Slytherin robes. Despite it taking me many wrong turns to find the place, I had made it. But I wasn't sure I was glad to have made it. I expected to walk into the hall, find a secluded spot, eat, then leave in the midst of everyone else. That is not what happened. 

All four tables of students stopped in their tracks and looked at me. My cheeks flamed red as I tried diverting my eyes away from them. I self-consciously walked towards the table that housed people with Slytherin robes. 

Dumbledore stood from his chair in the frontest part of the Hall, causing the students to face him. 

He cleared his throat. "I'd like to introduce our newest transfer Slytherin student, Thea Fjord." A wind of relief washed over me when he used the name that everyone should call me. If I had it my way, that would be my legal name. Not Prithia. 

The wave of relief didn't last long because the students whispered amongst themselves, no doubt about me. Normal me would have enjoyed the attention, no parents me did not under any circumstance want a room full of hundreds of students staring and talking about me. 

The hall watched as I chose a seat at the farthest part of the table and dished myself a meal. The heat from my cheeks and neck wasn't budging. Thankfully, after a few long moments, students slowly went back to their business. The realization of being alone all year hit me while I ate, forming a knot in my stomach. For the third time that day, I fought with all of my might to keep my tears at bay. 

Dinner was long. So long. And so lonely. I missed the few close friends I had. I could no doubt write them, but how much comfort would I get from that?

Once students were ordered to their common rooms, all kids walked back to their dorms. I didn't fail to notice how I practically parted seas. I was like a disease that everyone was afraid of catching. Another knot formed in my stomach but I smashed it away with an iron fist. I could not be seen as weak. My situation would be much worse if I was bullied. I straightened my back, threw my shoulders back, and tossed my chin higher in the air then began making more eye contact. 

Furthur ahead of me I noticed a group of three students, two of whom were looking at me with smiles on their faces. A warm soothing feeling went through my body and I gave them a small smile back. The one with black hair and round glasses looked back at his two friends and urged them to follow him as he made his way towards me. My heart pumped a couple of times faster in anticipation of my first student encounter since being there. 

He walked with enough purpose to make me internally giggle.

"Hi!" His voice was high pitched but so sweet. 

"Hello." I smiled back. 

"This is Ron Weasley," he pointed to the redhead standing clueless behind him, "Hermione Granger," then pointed to the girl with wild hazelnut hair, "and I'm Harry Potter." My jaw dropped. 

" _The_ Harry Potter?" I asked, baffled. Hermione giggled and nodded. I looked back to Harry and his cheeks burned pink. "S-sorry. I've just heard so much about you. Also, I'm Thea."

He smiled. "It's okay. I'm rather used to it." 

"Well, it's nice to meet you guys, but I should probably get back to the Slytherin common room," I said with disappointment. Maybe there was hope. Maybe this wouldn't be terrible. 

Hermione scooted in front of Harry, her brown eyes sparkling. "We can walk you! I want to know more about you!" I nodded and followed them hesitantly. I still could not remember where the entrance to the common room was. Hermione walked slightly in front of me while Harry and Ron walked next to each other behind me. 

"What's Ilvermorny like? I mean, that's where you came from right?" Hermione's voice warmed my heart with its geniality. 

I nodded. "Yes, it is where I came from. It's actually very similar to Hogwarts. A bit newer due to it being built after Hogwarts. Also, much more American." I chuckled. 

Hermione cocked her head to the side. "My apologies, but I am not accustomed to what it's like in America." 

"Incredible. She doesn't know _everything_ ," Ron's gruff voice muttered behind us. Hermione shot him a glare. 

For the first time in weeks, I was smiling. Genuinely smiling. The large hole in my heart was never going to be completely sealed, but it would get close to it and I had a strong feeling those three were going to play a part in that. 

The three gave me their partings and walked to wherever the Gryffindor common room was. I gave them a smile and went into my own. Still smiling I was met with yet another trio. Huh. Interesting. Trios must be the only way to have friends in this school?

This time, it was three boys sitting on the velvet couches. At the sight of me, they all got up from their spots. A tall platinum-blonde boy stalked ahead of the other two boys toward me with a sneer on his face.

"Making friends with Potter, are you?" He spat as he advanced closer to me. His two friends snickered behind him. I backed away from him until there was no room to back up. The cool touch of the stone flooded through my linen robe. His face was too close. Closer than anybody should ever get to me. _But, lord, he smelled so good_. I mentally slapped myself. 

An unexpected surge of confidence infiltrated my body. I was not going to let a pubescent teenage boy control me. I shoved a hand against his chest, putting a comfortable amount of space between us. 

"That's no way to introduce yourself," I stated and stood up as straight as possible. A flicker of astonishment ran across his face but quickly turned into fury. 

"Do you know who the hell I am?'" He inched closer. I put my hand back between us, stopping him in his tracks. 

I looked defiantly into his harsh blue eyes. "I don't care who you are, you have no right standing this close to me." The two boys who I forgot was standing behind the blue-eyed asshole, laughed at my remark. He back up an inch so my hand was no longer pressed against his chest. 

"You need to learn your place. I am Draco Malfoy. Son of Lucius Malfoy and I could ruin your family with a snap of my fingers. _You_ are a loser and an outcast and you will never be anything more." Draco took one more look at me from head to toe and walked into the boys' dormitories with his minions hot on his tracks. 

"What a privileged little asshole," I muttered and walked into my own dorm where a small group of girls stared at me as I got myself ready for bed. 

_Great, I am already in a tough situation, now I get to deal with gossip-hungry girls and no good bullies_. 


	2. study buddy

**prithia fjord**

It took me no time at all to get myself ready for the day. I threw on a Slytherin sweater and skirt then put my robes on over it. 

I followed the rest of the sixth year Slytherins to what I hoped was DADA. Once again, the seas were parted for me. Thankfully, I hadn't had another run-in with Draco or his two pets, who I still didn't know the names of. 

I spotter a flash of blonde hair that made my blood temperature rise sitting on a ledge looking out onto the water exceeding Hogwarts. I stopped walking to get a better look. He was alone and in a spot that was rather out of sight. That's odd. Despite my contempt for Draco, a part of me felt eerily saddened for his current state. One leg was propped at an angle while the other dangled into the air beyond the stone school. He fiddled with a book in his hand as he looked deep in thought. 

As if I had yelled at him, he snapped his gaze directly at me. It took me a moment to realize he was looking at me and by the time I had, he was already walking toward me. Oh no, oh no. I looked around frantically for somebody's help. There was nobody. When did everyone leave the hall? 

"What the bloody hell are you staring at, Fjord?" Draco spat, standing close, but far enough that I could breathe in my own air. _Good, he learned his lesson_. 

"Nothing." I hardened my face to be as emotionless as possible. Draco continued to glare at me. He was about to say something more when Hermione interrupted from further down the hall. 

"Thea! Hurry up, we have to get to DADA." Hermione was walking speedily towards me with Harry and Ron in tow behind her. I gave her a hesitant look, but she ignored it and grabbed my arm. She dragged me away from Draco, giving him a nasty glare. 

As we walked away I heard Harry behind us say, "Stay away from her, Malfoy." Wow, an incredible thing to have friends. 

We walked into the class barely on time. Although, as I looked around, I didn't see the Professor yet. Hermione brought me to a middle row and sat me next to her, with Ron and Harry on the other side of her. 

I saw a glimpse of Draco sit in a row on the opposite side of us. 

"What did Malfoy want?" Hermione whispered and glanced at the bully. I shrugged just as someone burst through the doors. He aggressively shut all the windows, making it dark in the room. _Now that's an entrance_. 

His long black hair bounced with his sudden stop. "Welcome to Defense Against the Dark Arts," he spoke slowly. "I am Professor Snape as many of you know." His eyes locked in on mine. "Ms.Fjord, see me after class. Try to keep up the best you can until then. I'm sure Ms.Granger will be able to help you," he said Hermione's name with more disgust than a teacher should. I heard her scoff next to me. 

"Yes, Sir," I answered quietly. 

Snape then looked at the other side of the room to Draco. "Malfoy. You stay after class as well." Draco looked at Snape with a scowl on his face. The audacity of that child. "Now, open to page 47 in your textbooks. Let's begin." 

The sounds of shuffling paper emitted in the room. I copied everything Hermione had done. I expected to be lost, but not that lost. Due to the frequency of different creatures and dark beings in America versus London, the curriculum was almost unrecognizable to what she had gone through at Ilvermorny. 

I gave up on giving Hermione "help me" eyes a fourth of the way through the class and zoned out. A shove against my shoulder brought me out of my daze. 

I looked at Hermione who had a smirk on her face. "Good luck." Harry and Ron gave me worried and empathetic eyes before leaving the room. 

I looked around to find Snape and Draco staring at me. We were the only ones left in the room. 

"I assume you struggled through class today," Snape insinuated. My cheeks heated up red knowing I had to admit being dumbfounded. I nodded and heard Draco snicker. "Not to worry. Malfoy here will be tutoring you on everything until you get caught up. I assume you two have already met." 

I looked at Draco with my eyes wide. He reciprocated the look. _Shit, shit, shit. No_. 

"Professor, she doesn't nee-" Draco began defensively, but Snape held his hand up to silence him. Draco huffed a breath out. 

"Sir, surely Hermione could tutor me," I suggested and gave a quick glare to Draco. 

"Silence. My decision is final. You will meet in the common room every school day after supper and at the end of every week you will show me what you've learned." Snape gave one final look at us both. "You may leave now." 

I quickly stood up from the desk and hurried out of the room. I saw Harry and Ron not more than 20 yards down the hall. They snapped their heads in my direction. I knew what they were going to ask. 

"First, Malfoy. Now, Snape?" Ron looked at me with sparkling and concerned eyes. "You're a popular one aren't you. Watch out Harry, she might steal your glory." I let out a small chuckle. while Harry smacked Ron's arm. 

"What did he want?' Harry asked. 

I squeezed my books closer to my chest and rolled my eyes. "He wanted Draco to tutor me for the class until I'm caught up." 

Ron winced. "Good luck with that. Malfoy is a dead beat bully." I nodded agreeing. I bet he wouldn't even show up to our study sessions, but that's perfectly fine with me. I could catch myself up on my own. 

"Hermione could tutor you a hundred times better than Malfoy could." Harry's face contorted into confusion. 

I let out a huff of air. "I know and I asked Snape if Hermione could, but he shut the idea down faster than you can say koala." The two boys looked at me confused. Maybe that wasn't something people said in London?

I smiled at their confused faces. "I ought to get to Charms now. I'll see you guys later." I began walking away from the boys. 

"Other way, Thea," Ron shouted. My cheeks heated up as I walked past them again. 

"Right. I knew that." Their chuckles and conversation slowly disappeared from behind me. 

______________

The pit in my stomach grew heavier and bigger as time inched closer to my "study date" with the one and only Draco Malfoy. Although, I was convinced he would not show up, which would be for the better. I didn't know if I could control my anger around him. 

I said another round of goodbyes to the trio of Gryffindors and entered the common room, only to be met by the one and only. A wicked smirk formed on his face when his ice blue eyes stared into mine. He slapped his book shut and stood from his spot. 

I was surprised. He was actually prepared to teach me?

"Let's get this over with," Draco spoke in a tone that did not reflect what his face was saying. He set towards the boys' dormitories, expecting me to follow. I didn't move from my spot. You could call it a social experiment. 

He disappeared up the stairs. One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three- 

"Thea, what the actual fuck? Hurry up!" He boomed from the top of the spiraling staircase. A smile grew on my face and I climbed the stairs to his voice. He stood in from of the door to his dorm picking his nails. Once he saw me, he rolled his eyes and opened the door to let me through. _Interesting, chivalry_. Something I thought he had never heard of. 

As soon as I entered the dorm, I was hit with the stench of sweat, dirty clothes, and a slight hint of mint. Surely, the mint was Draco's touch. On top of the stench, there were clothes thrown everywhere: on top of beads, under beds, over the canopy railings, on the floor. There was only one bed that was made, and cleaned. No clothes were in the vicinity of the bed, as if there was a line of chalk bordering the area. 

"Holy hell!" I coughed. "You guys need some Febreze in here, ASAP." Draco cocked his head to the side. "It's a muggle thing." He squished his face in disgust and walked over to the cleanest bed. On the other side of it was a small velvet couch that Draco fell into, grabbing the textbook nearest. 

"What? Do you not like muggles?" I taunted and sat on the edge of his bed. 

He carefully watched me sit. "Of course not. Muggles have no right infesting this world. Especially that Mudblood, Granger." I gasped and quickly kicked his shin. "Ow, what the fuck? Do I need to clarify what I can do to you and your family?" Draco stood up to intimidate me, but I copied him and got closer than I would ever like to admit. 

"Do your worst, you filthy twat," I growled. We stared at each other for a few more seconds, but Draco backed away and raised his eyebrows. 

He sat back in the chair. "Alright, let's begin on Page one." His eyes scanned over the page. "You're hair's a mess, by the way." 

My hand flew up to the dark brown ponytail on my head and I frowned. 

This boy is another breed and he may as well be the death of me. 


	3. hogsmeade

**prithia fjord**

"Guys, you don't understand. I might actually murder him." I slid my hand across my neck. "Murder." 

Four days had passed and it was the first checkpoint with Snape. No part of me was sure I had learned anything. The sheer amount of arguing and storming out of sessions overpowered and distracted me from anything Draco was supposed to teach me. 

"Maybe you should." Harry shrugged. I chuckled at the support he would give me if I truly murdered Draco. 

Hermione shoved his shoulder. "As much as he may deserve it, don't. Think about it this way. The more you study, the faster you'll be done with him." 

I let the thought sink in. I had always presumed myself on the smarter side, but the fact that I had never fathomed to think that way made me question my intelligence. 

"I don't quite understand why I am so behind in DADA. I am behind in other classes, sure, but not like I am in this ridiculous class." I was now pacing in the library in front of my new friends. Harry looked like he was in deep thought, Hermione was half-listening to me as she read a book, and Ron went between staring at me pacing and the piece of bread in his hand. He looked two seconds away from making out with it. 

"I think you just need to calm down, honestly. Either way, you'll get through it," Ron assured with a mouthful of bread. Hermione gave him a disgusted glance. As much as I wanted to believe Ron, it wasn't that simple. 

I looked at my watch. "Oh, I've got to go pay Snape a visit. Bye!" They waved at me as a walked away. 

If only Draco was simple, life would be infinitely easier. He's so hot and cold. Every few moments I would catch a glimpse of something good, but then he would proceed to mention Hermione and her blood status or muggles or his financial security that would discredit all hope of him being good. Layers. He had layers upon layer upon layers of wrong beliefs and insecurities. Despite him being closed off, I had discovered an incredible amount about him by his being so closed off. 

From what I had learned and heard from Hermione, Harry, and Ron, Draco is a spitting image of his father, personality, and all. By growing up with a bad influence, how was there any kind of hope of Draco being a good person?

"You're late, Ms.Fjord," Snape announced from his desk. I looked around the room for Draco. It seemed he was too. "Yes, as is your tutor." He sighed and gestured for me to sit. at the desk in front of him. 

Only a few seconds later, Draco strolled into the room, clearly oblivious to his being late. The swagger in his walk disgusted me. He sat in the seat next to me. 

"This is going to be quick, I only want a brief summary." Snape looked at Draco in anticipation. 

"We covered the first ten pages. She has the two spells memorized. It's been a slow process." Draco leaned closer to Snape, "She's a rather slow learner." My fist would have flown straight to his shoulder if we weren't in the presence of a teacher. 

Snape nodded. "Very well. You are dismissed. Continue your study sessions for now." 

Draco slumped his shoulders and began out the door with me shortly after him. When he turned out of the classroom he began walking in the opposite direction of the common room. 

"Where are you going, Draco?" I shouted after him. 

He stiffened and turned around. "First of all, it's Malfoy for you. Second, it's none of your bloody business. Sod off." Draco quickly walked around a corner. I looked towards where students were walking back to the dorms then to where Draco disappeared. 

I shouldn't. But I want to. But I shouldn't. 

I cursed under my breath and jogged in the path that Draco had walked. I looked around the corner and saw him farther down the corridor. I continued to fast walk towards him, remaining as quiet as possible. I didn't want to know what his reaction would be if he found me following. 

We continued this for a couple of minutes until I turned a corner to be met by a dead end and no Draco. I walked the perimeter and hit the stone wall looking for some kind of secret passageway. There's no way he just disappeared into thin air. 

"Thea?" I whipped around to see Hermione in a disheveled mess. "You look like you just saw a ghost. What are you doing?"

I looked at the walls one more time. "I could ask you the same thing." Maybe Hermione knew where Draco went and was following him too. 

She sucked in a breath. "I saw you walk in the opposite direction of the Slytherin common room and you looked like you were on a mission." She laughed slightly. 

"O-Oh, I thought I saw something. I guess I didn't," I lied. I couldn't tell Hermione that Draco disappeared into thin air. She would think I was a lunatic. 

Hermione grabbed my arm and pulled me back the way I came. "Come one. Let's get back to the dorms."

Something about Draco vanishing bothered me more than it should have. It was just off, the whole situation felt wrong deep in my gut. 

"We're going to Hogsmeade tomorrow, would you want to join?" Hermione asked just before we got to the Slytherin common room entrance. 

"Hogsmeade?"

Her eyes began twinkling. "Oh right! It's the town for wizards. It's amazing, especially around the holidays." I debated her proposal. I could go to the town, spend the very little money I have, or stay at Hogwarts and study. 

"Sure, why not?" 

Hermione's smile grew larger. "Oh, amazing! We'll meet in the courtyard at seven." With that Hermione gave my arm a squeeze and walked back to her common room. 

I whispered the password and walked into the dark common room. Only a few people were scattered around the dungeon, none of which had bright blonde hair. I sighed out of relief. The people in the room only gave me one glance before returning to their work. It was a comfort to see the dissipating interest that the other students at Hogwarts had for me. Soon, I was no longer of importance, just another Slytherin girl. 

I threw my bag next to an empty chair, far away from anybody, and plopped down into it. One week down. Who knows how many left.

I lost count of how long I stayed in the chair. Each time the door to the common room opened a part of me hoped it was Draco for the sole purpose of me interrogating him. Did I really want to know what he was doing? Absolutely, but maybe I should refrain from confronting him so I could potentially use it as blackmail. 

A tall male walked in front of me and sat down on the adjacent sofa. His hair was buzzed short and his face was sculpted like an ebony god. His dark brown eyes looked mischievously at me. I briefly recognized him as one of Draco's minions. 

"I don't believe we've formally met," He spoke with a slightly upturned mouth. Holy hell. This man was beautiful. No, he was friends with Draco, he is not beautiful. 

He stared at me expectantly, but I had completely forgotten words existed, so I stared at him with my eyes wide and mouth sewn shut. 

He chuckled and I will swear on my life the breath was taken out of me. "I'm Blaise." He held his hand out to me. 

I hesitantly took it. "I-I'm Thea." My voice cracked like a 14-year-old pubescent boy. My cheeks instantly heated up. What an idiot.

"Well, it is nice to meet you." He brought my hand up to his lips and kissed it slowly. Butterflies in my stomach erupted and my cheeks got infinitely hotter. Just as they did, Draco strolled in through the common room door. One look at Blaise and his face turned into one of his infamous scowls. Something about his presence made me draw back my hand from Blaise's. 

"Bloody hell, Blaise. Must you do this right here?" Draco walked towards the stairs leading up to their rooms. Blaise winked at me and continued to follow Draco. As I looked around, I thankfully noticed nobody had to witness my unraveling other than the unraveler himself... and maybe Draco. 

I took a few moments for me to regain any sort of composure, but when I did, I made my way back to my rooms and tended to myself for bed. A bubbling excitement began in my stomach as I thought about going to Hogsmeade. Something about living amongst the Brits was incredibly invigorating. I would have given anything to hear their accents forever. I frowned. Forever doesn't exist. That was a stupid and irrational thought. Nobody has forever. You're born, you live a good life, then you die. That is anything but forever. 

______________

Hogsmeade was everything I could have imagined. The shops stood tall and aged, but each one was so unique. It seemed Mother Nature knew of the excursion and blessed us with the bright sun, warm enough for me to not have a need for my sweater. 

The little trip concluded with the four of us drinking Butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks, a tavern that is a popular gathering place for students on the weekends. 

The thought of how much my parents would have loved the culture of the town distracted me from Harry and his blabbering about Snape being a suspicious bastard. 

It had only been a month since their passing and since then not a single soul had asked me what happened. I wasn't as surprised about the wizarding community in America not directly approaching me about the situation. A picture of my mother and father kissing under an altar made the front page. _Head of Aurors and Wife Passes In Tragic Car Accident._ That's how I had found out. Not by a phone call or a personal visit, a fucking newspaper article. I found out the moment the rest of the world did. I had only been at Ilvermorny for a few days before I was pardoned to go home for as long as I needed. 

For days after, dozens of letters had come streaming into our empty house giving their condolences for my parents. I had sat at the foot of their bed reading the countless number of letters until my Aunt had come to take me to London where the rest of my mom's family resided. 

Nobody from school had asked me why an American sixth year had transferred in the middle of the year and it was highly unlikely that the news of my parent's death had reached Britain. Somebody was bound to ask at some point. 

**draco malfoy**

I was reluctant to go to Hogsmeade in the first place and watching Blaise stare at Thea hungrily from across the Three Broomsticks had made me regret my decision even more. Blaise and I were sitting at a table tucked in a dark corner so there was a low chance anybody would recognize our presence, seemingly the perfect spot for Blaise. The utter lack of dignity he had baffled me. It didn't matter what kind of personality a girl had, she could be as dumb as a rock, as long as she was freaky or hot, he'd shag her. 

"Goddamn, just look at those lips," Blaise muttered. I gave him a nasty look, but he continued to look at Thea. Half of her dark brown hair was tied back and the other half stopped just below her shoulders in soft curls. "Don't look at me like that. It's okay to admit when a young woman looks voluptuous." I cringed. 

"The sheer fact that she finds company with Potter, a Blood-Traitor, and a Mudblood, essentially makes her a Blood-Traitor. Revolting." And the fact that I had to spend my valuable time tutoring her stubborn arse was enough of a reason to show disdain. Even though I didn't know of her blood status, I did know that whatever it was would only make me hate her more. 

However, as I continued staring at whilst she looked into space, part of me understood Blaise's infatuation. Her face wasn't perfect, but there was a certain imperfection about it that made her stunning. I could see her glowing green eyes across the tavern deep in thought. The trio around her was laughing about something, but Thea's distant stare didn't flinch. A twinge of curiosity stung in my stomach. 

I mentally slapped myself. _You do not sympathize with Blood-Traitors_. 

Blaise rolled his eyes and continued to stare at her and sip at his Butterbeer. I had a feeling that Blaise was entering another one of his intense hyper fixation phases. He would become so obsessed with a girl that thoughts of her would fill his mind every second of the day and the only thing he could focus on was getting in her pants. It didn't happen often due to most girls at Hogwarts opening their legs for him any chance they could get. I knew Thea would not fall into that category, which meant that Thea was the prey and it was now a game. 


	4. disappearing act

**draco malfoy**

As usual, I sat in my worn-in green chair while Thea sat on my bed. It had taken much convincing for me to let the putrid girl rot my bed with her smell. Each time she would sit there, her citrusy smell infected the sheets more and more. No matter how much of my cologne I sprayed, the orange and lemon did not budge and my cologne was too expensive to waste. 

"Congrats, we made it through year one," I deadpanned and rolled my eyes. "It only took three weeks." Thea scoffed but didn't look up from her textbook. 

"Oh, shut up. With the amount of time we waste, I'm surprised we've gotten anywhere at all," She backfired, still glued to the textbook. 

My pulse quickened.  _ Here we go again _ . I gave a malicious grin that made Thea glance at me knowingly. In all honesty, our arguments were the highlight of my day. I would never tell Thea, but by getting a rise out of her, all my strung anger would release a little tension. It was a distraction from my tortuous responsibilities. 

"You mean, the amount of time  _ you _ waste?" I raised my eyebrows, watching Thea carefully. When she was beyond infuriated, her fingers would start wiggling in a twitching manner as if she was getting ready to punch something. My goal every time we fought was to get her to that point. Thea pretended to ignore me and went back to her textbook. "If you weren't so brainless and adamant about knowing every single detail and defending every single person I insult, then we would be much farther than we are." 

Thea's green eyes turned fiery. She raised her eyebrows, pissed. "First of all, I would blame the tutor for lack of teaching skills. I'm most definitely not the brainless one. To your second excuse, yeah, I do want to know everything so when we finish school, I will be the one the Ministry will want, not you. And third, you are a low-level bully that is so insecure that he feels the need to pick on everybody, so anything I can do to undermine you, I will do it." 

It was always a risk, provoking Thea. More often than not it ended with both of us fuming. 

"How dare you call me brainless!" I stood from my seat and looked down into Thea's eyes. "You will never be successful, nonetheless more successful than me. You are just a loser that will join the muggle world and coincide with filthy Mudbloods. You will never be anything and I'm sure your parents are extremely disappointed in their pathetic excuse of a daughter." 

Thea slowly stood from my bed, forcing me to step back. I noticed movement coming from her hands and formed a satisfied smirk. She gaped at me with the amount of hatred that I had only seen in the mirror. Suddenly, a sharp sting formed on my cheek.  _ She just slapped me _ . I brought my hand up to my cheek. Bloody hell, she had a fucking swing. When I looked back at her, the eyes that had spark and fire in them were dull and glossed over. 

Thea stepped close to me. Her too familiar scent filled my senses. She grabbed my chin aggressively, forcing me to look at her. "If you ever fucking speak about my parents again, I will personally hunt you down and murder you with my bare hands, Malfoy." I was officially scared of the woman in front of me. She stared at me a few more seconds and once she found my petrified face satisfactory, she grabbed her bag and stormed out of the room. 

I rubbed my chin and cheek, that was going to bruise. A guilty pit formed in my stomach as I digested her reaction. I cursed. I shouldn't feel guilty. I thrive off of belittling people. But, fuck, I felt so guilty. I sat on my bed in defeat, her citrus smell still lingering. 

A piece of parchment was left on my bed. I picked it up to examine it and read an unfamiliar name.  _ Prithia Fjord _ . All this time I had thought her name was Thea and Thea alone. What kind of name is Prithia anyway? Where did this girl come from? I thought I had her figured out rather well, but I was proved wrong. 

Reality hit me. I crumbled up the paper without a second thought and threw it across the room.  _ Stop thinking about her _ . Prithia Fjord is a Blood-Traitor and should be treated as such. 

**prithia fjord**

I was so riled up I couldn't hold the tears any longer than when I slammed Draco's door shut and raced back to the safety of my bed. 

I had done so well not thinking about my parents. I thought I had finally come to terms with their parting, but as soon as Draco brought them up, the first thing I thought of was an image of them hugging, then all I could think about was the way my mother used to touch my cheek.  _ You're going to do great things, my shooting star _ . That was the last thing she ever said to me and the only thing I wanted was to hear her speak those words one more time. 

"Thea?" A low voice sounded from the entrance, startling me. I turned to see Blaise peeking his head through the door. I quickly turned away and wiped the tears from my face. 

"Please, not right now," I choked out. 

Almost immediately, the bed dipped next to me. Blaise sat with his hand crossed in his lap.

I forced out a chuckle. "Blaise this isn't the time." All he had done in the passing weeks was stare at me from across rooms and flirt with me and this was not the time for either.

He knocked his side against mine, jostling me. "I heard yelling from our dorms and saw you storm out and walk into your own. I just wanted to make sure you were okay and to let you know that you can talk to me." Something about the look in his eyes made me want to look at them longer. "I know, firsthand, how difficult Malfoy is. You can talk to me." He put a hand on top of mine. 

I looked at our hands then back at him with tears blurring my vision. I didn't say anything for Blaise to pull me into his chest and wrap his arms around the small of my back. That was one of the first genuine hugs that I had gotten since transferring to such an unknown place. Blaise's cologne had a calming scent that allowed me to take deep breaths. 

I unlatched from his embrace and gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you. I needed that."

Blaise nodded and began to get up. As I looked into his eyes, I could tell something was off, but I assumed it was my body telling me to be cautious with revealing my vulnerability. I dismissed it quickly deciding I needed to get out of the dungeon. Curfew wasn't for another few hours so I opted for a walk around the castle, there was bound to be some hallway that I hadn't been down. 

I gave a brief goodbye to Blaise and started out into the brisk halls. 

While I walked, I tried to shake off the irritation that being around Draco caused me. He had been consuming my thoughts in the worst way possible and there was no way to get him out. I had to spend at least an hour with him every single day and it sure as hell wasn't by choice. There was no fucking way I could stop thinking about his irrational superiority complex, soon his piercing blue eyes were going to show up in my nightmares. I tried to be civil around him, but it seemed he took each chance he could get to conclude our studying with our teeth bared at each other. 

A part of me knew he was just an insecure child that didn't know how to act like a normal human being. I suspected his upbringing to play a large part in  _ that _ play, but I threw those suspicions into the nearest mental trash can because he did not deserve anybody's sympathy. 

I couldn't recall how far I had walked or where, but muttering came from further in front of me, snapping me out of a daze. I walked closer to the voice to find the privileged bully standing before a wall with his eyes closed. I tried to hear what he was mumbling, but I would have had to get closer, which would result in my discovery. 

The wall in front of Draco began peeling back to reveal a door that he walked through. My eyes widened.  _ What the actual fuck _ ? As soon as Draco disappeared, I ran to where the door had been, but it had already transformed back to a regular wall. I slammed my fists against it first, trying to see if the damn thing would crumble, unfortunately, my arm strength was minimal. I promptly decided that I was going to wait by the wall until Draco came back out. He couldn't stay in there forever and I needed to know what he was up to. 

I leaned my shoulder against the wall at first, glancing at my watch every now and then, watching the minutes tick closer and closer to curfew. I quickly grew bored of watching the minute hand tick and chose to recite any spells I had learned recently, but naturally, I also grew tired of that. I just grew tired in general, so I plopped my butt on the cold stone floor and stared at the ceiling for the remaining time. 

"Miss Fjord," Snape's ugly voice echoed in my head. His tall figure came into sight as if clouds around him had opened just due to his presence. That's odd. 

"Miss Fjord, wake up," Snape repeated as a foot stomped on my own. I snapped my eyes open and tried to reorient myself. I had to blink a few times to see Draco and Snape staring down at me with very different looks on their faces. 

Snape had his usual snarl that told me I was going to be in trouble while Draco glared at me with enough satisfaction that made we want to bash my fist into it. 

"W-where am I?" I looked around and suddenly remembered sitting on the flow waiting for Draco to emerge from the wall again, then looked at my watch. It was already midnight... I had fallen asleep! For fucks sake I had fallen asleep and Draco was about to get me detention for it. 

"You do realize it is two hours past curfew which will result in detention," Snape and his monotone voice stated. Draco chuckled and widened his smirk.  _ I hope that bastard rots in hell _ . 

"B-but, Professor I was only waiting- " I cut myself off so I could figure out how to bring Draco down with me. "Sir, I say this in the most polite way possible, but it seems Draco is the one who found me, so may I ask why he was out past curfew?" There it was. My own face shifted into a grin as I watched Draco's face fall and form irritation. 

Snape raised his eyebrows and looked at Draco. "It seems Miss Fjord has a point, Mr.Malfoy. Detention for you both for the next two weeks. Nothing will change with tutoring." He gave us one last look. "Now get back to the common room. I trust you know your way." Draco snarled but nodded with reluctance. Snape nodded for us to leave, so Draco and I began walking back in the dark hallways together. 

The tension between us was so thick it could have been cut with a butter knife. I could practically feel the anger radiating off of Draco which gave me infinite satisfaction. If he's going to push me off a cliff, he's falling with me. 

"Why was Blaise in your dorm?" Draco muttered randomly. I was taken aback. How did he know that? I looked at him confused. "I saw him walk up there."

"He was being a good friend." It was Draco's turn to look at me with a peculiar expression. "What, Mr.Malfoy? Afraid I'm going to steal your best friend?" I made a pouty face, resulting in a scowl from him. 

His face softened as he realized something. "That's not going to last long,  _ Miss Fjord _ ." He enunciated my last name mockingly. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" We were walking through the common room door. He still let me enter first. I wasn't sure if he knew what he was doing or if he made a conscious decision to let me go first. We were about to go to our separate dorms, but something was bothering me that I felt the need to get off my chest. "Stop acting like you know everything. It's an incredibly unattractive quality. If anything, quit acting like you know me." His vivid blue eyes bore into me with amusement. 

"I learn more about you every day, Prithia." My eyes widened. "Also, a piece of advice for you," Draco walked towards me, of course, trapping me against a wall. That time I had forgotten to push him away. His eyes went from looking amused to strictly dangerous. "Mind your own fucking business or you're going to get trapped in positions you won't want to be in." He quickly turned away and stalked up to his dorms.

"Fuck you, Draco. I'll see you in detention," I yelled after him in a fluster, my breath still caught in my throat. 

His lingering minty smell invaded my senses, stopping me from moving from the spot on the wall. As much as the scent reminded me of him, it made me feel comfortable in the worst way possible; the kind of comfortable that had the lingering sensation it wouldn't last. 

  
  



	5. good ok’ firewhiskey

I had forgotten how good it felt to feel like I belonged, like I wasn't the elephant in a room. I remained as just another student in the Slytherin quidditch stands cheering for my house. Gryffindor versus Slytherin. The lion against the snake. I had heard about how exhilarating it was to watch the two teams play, infinitely more than the other houses. There was a certain rivalry between the snake and the lion that would never be matched by Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw.

The October chill hung in the air, making everyone's cheeks rosy, reminding me of Ilvermorny. The sudden thought twisted my stomach. How I missed my friends. And the weather. The summers were perfectly humid and warm. The condensation that would stick to my face made me feel like I was working for something, although it definitely didn't work with my frizzy hair. The chill stoically made me think about the beautiful falls in Massachusetts. Different arrays of colors splashed everywhere to be looked and the October breezes that would cause the slightest shiver.

A tear dragged down my face. It's not the time to cry. Enjoy the moment, appreciate the present.

I had recently made friends with Tracey Davis. Finally, someone in my house found interest in me as a genuine friend. Slowly, things were falling into place, I was feeling less and less like an outsider.

I jumped when Tracey squealed next to me as Blaise zoomed by us, slowing down to give me a wink. A flash of bright blonde entered into sight and Draco knocked Blaise's shoulder, glaring at him to get back to the game. Blaise gave me a reluctant wink and followed Draco back into the match.

He had been relentless in the passing week with his endless flirting and suggestive glances. As good as it was to feel wanted, I had been warned by nearly everyone to be careful with him. Apparently, he had the reputation of a player, as we would call it in America. I could have easily guessed it by his swaggering walk and bright smile, he was not hard on the eyes, but I made sure to be careful. After my fifth year, I vowed to never let anyone past my pant buttons unless I was completely sure I wasn't going to regret it. Blaise would be no different.

"Oh my Merlin!" Tracey screeched and shook my arm like she had just met Beyonce. "He just winked at you, oh my, oh my." I laughed. It seemed Blaise's actions affected Tracey more than they did me.

"Does somebody have a liking for Mr.Blaise Zabini?" I asked mockingly.

"You would be insane not to, are you kidding? He is like a walking god. Absolutely beautiful. But it seems he has his eyes set on you." Tracey flipped her hazelnut hair and wiggled her eyebrows at me.

I scoffed. "It's going to take more than a few winks to make that kind of impression on me." Tracey rolled her eyes and went back to cheering for our house. Across the field, I saw Hermione sitting next to one of her Gryffindor friends that I only recognized from our Charms class. He said something to make her laugh which in turn, made me smile.

Slytherin ended up winning the match, how? I don't remember. I was too busy gossiping with Tracey. But we all made our way back into the Slytherin common rooms whooping loudly and jostling the players. Everybody was smiling and passing around bottles of an unfamiliar drink. Firewhiskey. Never heard of it.

Draco and Blaise climbed on top of a desk that sat in the middle of the common room, hoisting up their bottles of Firewhiskey.

"Thank you everyone for your support!" Blaise shouted and grinned. "We did kick ass and now it's time to celebrate. There is more than enough Firewhiskey to get us through this week thanks to Malfoy, so cheers!" Draco and Blaise popped the cork out and took large gulps.

Everybody in the room replied with loud "cheers" and started drinking.

"Where's the music?" Draco shouted and music that I didn't recognize loudly played. The two boys jumped off the table and began conversing with other people. I kept an eye on Draco as he followed Blaise through the crowd. His bright blue eyes didn't reflect what his smile was saying. One urged to get out, but the other made girls swoon.

I looked back to Tracey and a third of her bottle of Firewhisey was already gone.

"Holy hell, Tracey! Maybe you should slow down?" I tried to grab the bottle out of her hand, but she gave me a mischievous grin and snatched the drink away from me.

"They said there's plenty of Firewhiskey to last everyone a week. I'm here to get plastered!" Tracey yelled over the music. I let out a hesitant laugh. I wasn't close enough with her yet to really tear her away from her wants, so I had to let it be.

"Hello, love," Blaise said from behind me, his hand wrapped around my waist, resting above my navel. As he leaned his head down towards my neck, the overpowering smell of liquor invaded my nose, causing me to cough.

I smiled knowing how far gone he already was. I turned out of his grasp to meet his hurt eyes. He immediately spotted my unopened drink.

"Let me help you with that." Blaise snatched my bottle of Firewhiskey, popped the cork, and handed it back to me. "Drink up. I'll be back." I watched Blaise trot over to somebody I assumed he recognized and realized that Tracey had also snuck away from me.

It happened to be just me and the burnt orange liquid. A flashback hit me from my time at Ilvermorny. Fifth-year was a wild one and I continued hoping not to replay it. I was an unhinged teenage girl that was a borderline alcoholic and slept with every guy that showed interest in her. I used to be the naive girl that would fall for Blaise's charm, but she now saw right through him.

"Am I surprised that you're not a partier?" I turned towards the devious blonde boy. He looked like he was in thought. "No, I'm not surprised." He leaned against the nearest wall. Great, the only company I could keep was Draco's.

A small itch made me want to chug half the bottle in my hand just to prove him wrong, but I stopped myself. Self-restraint. Self-restraint.

"You don't know anything about me," I scoffed.

Draco shot his finger up in the air. "Wrong, I just don't know everything. But I do want to know why you're so hesitant to drink. The way you look at it makes me think you know the taste of liquor and the way you whirl it makes me think you want it. I think you're scared you won't be able to stop yourself once you start. Do I think correctly?" He grinned at me.

I kept my face hard and untelling, but a weird part of me wanted him to know. He already knew more about me than anyone else at Hogwarts.

I let out an exasperated sigh. "It's not pretty." I loved parties in fact. I loved alcohol, too. It does an amazing job of numbing, but did I need the numbing?

"Hmm. You could also just be a lightweight." He shrugged and threw his head back for another gulp.

My heart quickened. "I'm not a lightweight," I growled. I could take punches, I could take insults about my blood status, I could take insults about my uncontrollable hair, I could take insults about my body, but I could not under any circumstance take insults about being weak. And he just insulted the only possible thing that could insult me.

Draco's eyebrows shot up and his malicious grin grew. "Oh really? Crazy how I don't believe you." He knew what he was doing. And it worked. It fucking worked because I glared directly at him as I did exactly what I said I wasn't going to do. I downed half of the liquor only putting it down to cough the burning out of my throat.

"Fuck yeah, Thea!" Blaise yelled as he walked towards Draco and I. "That is how it's done!"

When I looked back to Draco, his grin was the widest I had ever seen it. I scowled at him.

Go big or go home. "Let's get fucked up!" I shouted, earning whoops and whistles from everyone in the room. I shot back the bottle and gulped another quarter of the drink. Feeling less and less.

Blaise began pulling me to the makeshift dancefloor that was created in the center of the room where couples were not leaving any room for Jesus, not that I expected them to, and singles were jumping or swaying to the music depending on their intoxication levels. I shoved my middle finger in the air towards Draco and followed Blaise without argument.

Blaise used his grip to spin me so my back was against him once again. I took another gulp of the liquor in my hand and felt my way into the music, throwing my hands in the air and letting Blaise do whatever he wanted with me.

I spotted Tracey only a few feet away pushed against a raven-haired boy with piercing grey eyes, similar to Draco's. Suddenly my eyes searched the room for his bright hair. He wasn't far from me either. He had his head cradled in the crook of a brunette's neck whispering something that made her cheeks heat up. I snapped my gaze away from them and focused on Blaise who took a swig of his drink and placed wet kisses on my neck.

Tracey spotted me and even over the music I could see her yell, "Yes girl, you fucking go!" I smiled euphorically and continues to sway against the man behind me.

The friction caused by the tent in his pants against my butt caused tingles to erupt just below my belly button. I pushed harder, wanting to feel the presence of that comforting and arousing heat that formed. Blaise let out a breath tickling my neck.

We danced nonstop through many songs I had never heard, but just as I was getting ready to get another bottle of Firewhiskey, the only song I had recognized all night began playing.

"This is my shit right here!" I yelled, barely able to hear myself over the soft beat of the music. Apparently, I wasn't the only girl in the room that was familiar with the song because a large amount of confidence was gained by the girls as they taunted the boys sexily to the beat of the music.

I grabbed Blaise's third bottle of liquor and drank a few large gulps before dancing in front of Blaise without touching him.

"My body's saying let's go," I pointed at him to come closer then dramatically made him stop, "But my heart is saying no." He smirked at me disobediently. I wrapped my arms around his neck and continued to sway to the song.

Just before the song finished Blaise nipped at my neck making me yelp. He grabbed my hand and pulled me off the dancefloor towards the boys' dormitories. I wasn't oblivious to what he was doing, but my brain was incapable of comprehending or stopping it.

He quickly shut the door to his dorm and hungrily led me to what I understood as his bed. He pushed his lips onto mine in a sloppy manner. There was nothing passionate about his lips, it felt needy and anything but sentimental. We both needed the release, Blaise the most. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling his chest closer as he pulled my waist closer, gripping my ass in his abnormally large hands. He placed me lightly on the bed and positioned himself on top of me. I couldn't, for the life of me, figure out if he was what I wanted. My brain was so fogged and the voice in my head that I normally could listen to seemed to be slurring its words. I had been in that situation one too many times for my liking. When Blaise started unbuttoning my dress shirt, I decided I didn't want it. My fucking parents were dead and I was off fucking a boy I only knew as a player.

"Blaise, stop, please." I shoved at his chest, but he laughed against my neck still unbuttoning my shirt. My brain seemed to unfog enough to realize what exactly was about to happen. Fuck. I gathered all the strength I could and shoved at his chest just as I brought my knee up to his crotch.

"Shit!" Blaise screamed and clutched his dick through his jeans. He crashed to the floor in a loud thud, coiling into a fetal state.

"You need to learn what 'no' sounds like coming out from a girls' mouth you fucking asshole," I spat at his pathetic position. The door opened abruptly to Draco's disheveled self.

He took a long look at the room, alarmed by what the situation appeared to be. "Bloody hell, what the fuck happened?"

I began buttoning my blouse with a slight heat creeping to my cheeks. "You're fucking buddy here doesn't know how to listen. It's not like his friends are any help." I gave one last glare towards Draco and raced back to my room. I ached for the comfort of my bed.

My chest ached as I lay in bed. Trying to push away the flooding memories of the sad excuses of boys at Ilvermorny and their perverted selves. I had thought it was normal. To get absolutely trashed to the point of a blackout and sleep with boys. It may make me sound like an idiot, but at the moment, it seemed okay. The next morning is when it gets questionable, only being able to recall a fourth of the events that occurred. It wasn't okay. It isn't okay and never should be.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little disappointed that the boys at Hogwarts weren't any different. The idea of British boys was alluring and to first be met by Harry set my expectations high, then to be followed by Draco and Blaise. I was incredibly disappointed.

What a filthy world.


	6. unexpected

"So, how was the rest of your night last night?" Tracey shoved my shoulder suggestively. We walked through the bustling. halls towards the Great Hall. "I saw you sneak off with Blaise."

A tired sigh made it out of my body before I could give it a second thought. "He's a pig. Him and every other boy to exist." I forced out a laugh. "Not to be dramatic."

Tracey flitted her eyes to me. "I'm sorry. If you need someone to talk to I'm always here."

I gave her a thankful smile but looked back down to my feet. It was unlikely I would talk to her about last night. After all, every person I knew gave me warnings about Blaise. I also chose to drink as much as I did. I basically brought it on myself. At least I knew how to defend myself. And at least Tracey was smart enough to recognize my lack of desire to share.

The most disappointing part about the night was that I had thought it was okay to go big or go home. Decided I was just an average student that didn't have to meet unrealistic expectations because they still had their whole life ahead of them. Every day was a struggle, whether people saw it or not was a different story and whether I could admit was a movie. I just wanted to give up. Wanted to stop feeling like I owed a debt to my parents. That I had to exceed all the expectations surrounding me. I didn't feel like I had my whole life ahead of me. What are the odds of a child growing up to make an impact on the world after losing the only mentors they had ever had? I believed they were slim to none. I knew I had a short shelf life. Had already embraced it. So to imagine for one night that I could be normal, that I could forget my troubles, was absolutely irrational.

"Oh shit, shit, fuck. Tracey hide me before he sees me," I whispered once I got a glance of Blaise looking frantically at the doors of the Great Hall. Looking for me.

Tracey attempted to move her skinny self in front of me, but Blaise had already locked his gaze on me, his eyes bloodshot and hooded.

I hesitantly sat down at the Slytherin table, avoiding all eye contact with him.

"Sorry," Tracey whispered back and sat next to me. Could see her head assumedly followed Blaise as he sat in front of me. I had prayed that he was too drunk to remember what he did, but the way his dark eyes dulled when he took in my reluctance to see him.

"Thea, can we talk?" Blaise asked in a harsh, hushed tone. Demanding, almost. A glare of disgust resonated on my face. He had the audacity to cast demands on me after what he pulled? Wow.

His face softened by a fraction. "Shit. Please, can we please talk?" He crossed his hands on the table, tapping his index finger impatiently.

I stole a glance at Tracey who looked like she was trying to give me privacy and understand what had happened between Blaise and me at the same time. But she hadn't given me any sort of look that said "talk to him" or "not a good idea". Then again, she didn't have much information to make that kind of judgment.

I released a heavy sigh and mustered up enough confidence to keep my voice steady. "Blaise. Not right now. I will talk to you when I choose to. So, please leave us." At first, he didn't move. Acted as if I had said nothing. But then his eyes flitted to somewhere else in the hall and back to me.

"Fuck," he whispered. Barely coherent. He slowly got up from his seat but was very clearly debating on saying more. If I had said anything more to him it would have been to just walk away. "I jus- I just want to say I'm truly sorry. I-" He stopped himself to look towards me, hoping for some kind of reaction. Blaise got nothing, so he sulked towards the end of the table where I spotted Draco moving food around on his plate as if there was nobody else around him.

It was the way Blaise plopped in the seat next to him that brought Draco out of whatever daze he was in. I watched while Blaise most likely explained our encounter. Draco rolled his eyes and said something back. I could read the words "idiot" on his lips at least, but it was followed by a grin. A devious, wicked grin. One that made bile rise in the average living being, but only made my blood boil. The slightest glimpse of his smile faltering had

me perked in my seat. It was so quick, I could have imagined it, but I swear it happened. A chance. A chance of humanity is what I saw. And I held onto it for longer than I should have.

Suddenly, Draco shifted his eyes to mine. And they... softened? Again, it was quick. Brief as could be, but it happened. It felt like my whole world had been flipped. Was there hope for goodness in Draco Malfoy?

My brain pounded a mallet saying "there's no fucking way" but my gut latched onto the two smallest pieces of evidence and said "yes?".

"Thea?" Tracey knocked her knee against mine under the table. I snapped my attention to her, trying my hardest not to look back at the ocean-colored eyes I knew were glaring into me.

"Yup?"

Tracey eyed me suspiciously. "Are you okay? You look... excited?" I cocked my head to the side. Changed my facial expression as best I could.

"Oh yeah, I realized that I only had a week left of detention with Snape left." Wow, what a great fucking excuse!

Tracey seemed to think so too. Her eyes held the same amount of suspicion but thankfully eased up as she bit into her eggs.

I figured I lost my appetite so I pulled out homework to look over while Tracey ate next to me in silence. Thankfully, not an awkward silence. The kind of silence that is mutual and comfortable.

I suddenly remembered that I was also supposed to be trying to figure out where the hell Draco goes when he skips DADA or stays out past curfew. But where to start... I considered asking Tracey. What would I say? "What do you know about a secret doorway that allows for people to disappear?" No. I wouldn't know how to ask her. Surely there was a book in the library that could help me. I looked at the clock to find I still had a while until DADA and decided I was going to spend that time in the library.

I briefly excused myself and began walking towards the library. It was silent when I entered. As I walked down to the farthest part of the room, I only spotted a single student who seemed to be trying to finish last-minute homework. Where should I even start? Disappearing rooms? Castle layout?

To be honest, I had no idea where to start. There was no specific name I was looking for. I opted for walking up and down the long rows of books in hopes of something interesting. A clock in the front of the library ring, signaling half-hour. I chose aimlessly walking was no good. Such a secret entrance wouldn't be out for everyone to find, otherwise, it would not be so secret. I eyed the very back of the library where the light seemed to stop before and dust hung in the air. The Restricted Section. Now that seemed to be rather promising. I carefully looked around me and stepped into the section, being sure nobody had followed.

"Lumos," I whispered. The spell only seemed to light up enough for me to see a few feet in front. The lingering dust in the air filled my lungs and took all my power to suppress a cough. But as I brought my wand closer to the ancient books I reminded myself I would have to look into some of them due to their odd titles.

There was a particularly intriguing book sitting on a high shelf out of reach. The spine of it had grey vines running unorganized from the top and disappeared inside the shelf. It stuck out slightly more than the rest of the books and it's presence seemed to attract light.

I looked around in hopes of finding a ladder, but no such luck. The closest thing I was going to get to a ladder was the bookshelves themselves. So, I placed my foot on the extra inch of the shelf and started climbing. Fortunately, it was only a two shelf climb, still daunting enough for my fear of heights. Just as I brushed my fingers along the book it went flying across the row of shelves. Watched it drop with a loud thud and land in a way that created the pages. I winced. Thank the Lord there was nobody else in the library.

I was proved wrong when somebody gracefully walked over and picked the book off the ground. My heart sped up, tried my hardest to stay still. Maybe if I didn't move he wouldn't see me. I stared at him wide-eyed, but he slowly moved his cat-like eyes up to me and grinned.

"Might want to come down so nobody else sees up your skirt." My cheeks inflamed as I raced back down the tall shelf. The boy I had recognized as a fellow Slytherin but assumed he normally stuck to himself. He held the book I had gone through so much effort to find in his hands, flipping through the pages uninterested.

"I, uh, I kinda need that book," I spoke softly. Like I didn't want to scare him away. The boy closed the book and raked his gaze oh so slowly towards me.

He handed me the book with a grin. I hesitantly grabbed it. Watched him as he slowly made his way out of the Restricted Section. All his movements slow and intriguing.

"Better get to class before Pince finds you roaming around in here," his voice echoed between the walls, bringing a shiver to my skin.

After a few moments, I raced out of the library and began walking to class. Slipped the book into my bag just before gliding into the Dark Arts classroom and found my usual spot next to Hermione and Harry. I have them brief smiles and pulled out the necessary materials for the class.

I could see Hermione's eyes following my movements curiously. Fiddling her fingers against the hem of her sweater.

I met her gaze. "Yes, Hermione?"

"I- I, uh, I...I heard about what happened." She spoke quietly. Looked like she didn't want anybody else to hear. I gave her a confused look. "Well, Blaise has about old the entire school about it."

My heart began racing. There was no way Blaise would have told the entire school that he almost raped me.

"What exactly did he say?" I kept my tone even.

Hermione cleared her throat. "He told everybody that you, uhm, last night you-"

"Bloody hell, Hermione," Ron interrupted on the other side of her. His splotchy freckled face leaned across the desk and looked at me. "He claimed that you begged him to shag you and when he said 'no' you hit him."

My mouth dropped to the floor. That bastard.

"Frankly, I don't believe him. I saw the way he looked at you," Hermione stated, nodding her head.

I let out a relieved sigh. "Thanks. That's definitely not how it went down." I rolled my eyes.

"Then what happened?" Harry pushed his glasses back up his nose and leaned into the mini crescent we had created.

Snap immediately made a surprisingly relieving entrance into the classroom. Saved me from an awkward retelling that I didn't want to go through.

"Nothing worth telling, but just know he is a lying scum bag and none of what he said was true."

The there hesitantly nodded and forced their attention towards Snape, I followed suit after glancing towards Draco across the room. I would have bet millions that he played some part in Blaise's pathetic excuse of gossip.

To be perfectly honest, I wasn't surprised by his lack of ability to take rejection, but I was surprised that he found a way to spread the rumor so quickly. Surely, Draco also played a part in that. Boy, how nothing had changed.

Tracey caught up to be in step with me as we walked back to the dungeons.

"You know it's not true, right?" I blurted after many awkward seconds. Seemed that it's what she wanted to know about.

I saw her nod in my peripheral. "Yeah. I'm not stupid. I'm the only one who knows that he was the one apologizing to you about whatever happened between you two last night."

I chuckled. "Okay good. I may need your expert witness later."

A smile played at her lips. "What do you have in mind?"

Nothing at the moment. But I would certainly find some way to get him back. I was never great at revenge, but practice makes perfect.

I brought my finger to my lips, silencing Tracey.

"Not yet." And we walked into the common room where people bustled around the fire.

A group of students huddled around something in the corner, opening up to look at Tracey and me with disgust. Blaise smack in the center of it all, smirking.

Pansy, Draco, and a few others surrounded him. whispering to each other as Tracey and I walked past. I put an oblivious smile on my face and waved at the group. Blaise's smug look faltered.

"See you later, Draco." I winked and hooked my arm through Traceys to pull us to the dormitories.

She only let out a small giggle before pulling out homework. I sat on my bed, fishing the odd book out of my bag. An image of the hazelnut-haired boy flashed through my mind, bringing an unintentional smile to my face.

My fingers traced the indents of leaves and thorns on the cover. The inside had messy scribbled writing and detailed doodles, but no names.

Tracey glanced at me. Curiosity laced her eyes. "What's that? Looks creepy."

I shut the book quickly, trying to act like it was just like any other book. "I'm not sure. Just found it in the library. I think it's just different kinds of herbs and whatnot." I kept my tone low.

I stood from the bed when Tracey attempted to open the book and shove it away. Her eyes watched me warily.

"I have to go to detention." I pursed my lips in a tight line, keeping my eyes away from Traceys. She nodded.

Snape sat at his desk aggressively writing, the scratch of the quill reverberating through the empty classroom. The windows in the dark room were shut, as they normally were when Snape was in the room. He gave an irritated glance towards Draco and sealed his letter.

He stopped his dark eyes on me. "You should be glad you're not writing lines. It doesn't mean you get to do nothing," Snape spat and abruptly left the room. Even though he had left, I felt his presence was still very much present. As if he had a microscopic dust mite watching everything that happened.

The only noise in the room was Draco's soft breathing. It was quiet but distracting nonetheless while I tried writing a paper that was due in a few days. Surprise surprise. I wasn't procrastinating. Just his presence was a damper on my mood. A constant reminder that his only purpose was to ruin people's lives.

Draco coughed. "I would never do that." His rough voice sounded like he had either been smoking or been crying. It wasn't hard to figure out which was more likely.

I pressed my quill harder against the parchment, grinding my teeth together. "You might want to be more specific. I have many accusations to throw at you."

He nodded painfully, pulling on his lip with his teeth. "I would never do what Blaise did."

A sharp pain came from my palm as the quill cracked under the pressure of my hand. I ignored the pain and flared at Draco. His eyes lifeless and deeply sorrowful.

"Again, you're going to have to be more specific," I seethed.

He cocked his head to the side. "I- what are you talking about? I'm just trying to say I would never try to fucking rape a girl." His voice grew defensive and loud. "What the bloody hell are you insinuating?"

To say I was shocked was a bit of an understatement. Frankly, I had no idea how to comprehend it. Why did he bother to tell me? Why did a pathetic bully feel the need to clarify himself?

_ It's not like his friends are any help _ .

The realization hit me like a slap to the face. I was in awe. Not necessarily shock, but awe. Another obvious glimpse of humanity.

"I-uh. Nothing." I clamped my mouth shut and trained my eyes back to the parchment in front of me just in time for Snape to buddy back into the room dramatically.

Draco released an exasperated sigh and followed suit. A part of me felt giddy and excited. Why? I didn't want to admit it, but I was suddenly looking forward to our lessons.

  
  



End file.
